Marine propulsion.



W. P. THOMPSON.

MARINE PROPULSION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1907.

904,464, Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Shwmrw attotmugj WILLIAM F. THOMPSON, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

mnnmn rnorunsron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Original application filed November 20, 1903, Serial No. 181,999. Divided. and this application filed July 16, 1907.

Serial No. 384,120.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM I. THOMP- SON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Liverpool. llngland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Propulsion, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

This case is a division of case Serial No. 181,999, filed Nov. 20, 1903.

This invention relates to marine propulsion, and has for its principal object to provide a novel form of vessel supporting means by which the hull of the vessel is raised out of the water a distance proportioned to the rate of travel, for the purpose of reducing the resistance to the travel of the vessel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vessel with a number of supporting fins that present inclined faces, which as the speed of the vessel increases, raise the hull, the fins being disposed at an angle or angles to the horizontal both transversely and in the direction of their lengths, so that as the speed increases and the hull is raised there will be less and less of the area of the fins submerged.

\Vith these and other objects in view, as will more. fully hereinafter ap ear, the in-- vention consists in certain nove features of construction and arran ement of parts, hereinafter fully describe illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor .details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vessel having fins constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention, the fins being shown in section and the struts or braces omitted. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, only one set of fins and struts being shown in place.

Similar letters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The hull A is shown as provided with a keel that is formed of a plurality of sections B that are spaced from each other and gradually incline or curve downward and rearward from their front ends, or the keel may be continuous as is usual in vessel construc- D which are secured to the sides of the V88:

sel. For propelling purposes a lever or frame E is pivoted on a power shaft F and is provided at its free end with a shaft H on which is mounted a paddle wheel I of any preferred construction, the paddle wheel being driven from the shaft by means of a suitable belt G. The shaft H is aided in an arcuate slot R and may be ad usted by means of a ratchet or gear Wheel J working in a suitable rack carried by the lever or frameE, this mechanism being for the purpose of adjusting the height of the paddle wheel in accordance with the draft. In addition to the paddle wheel it is preferred to employ a screw propeller T which may be driven in any suitable manner.

The fins are preferably disposed 'in a number of sets, all of those of the same set being preferably in the same horizontal plane, as will be evident on reference to Fig. 1, and as the speed of the vessel increases, the hull will ride up on these fins and the fins will emerge from the water, the number of fins which remain submerged being dependent to a considerable extent on the speed at which the vessel is traveling. This feature, is taken advantage of in the present case by disposing the fins at an angle to the horizontal in the direction of their lengths, that is to say, the fins are angular-1y disposed in a direction transverse of the vessel, so that even if only one set of fins is used, the submerged fin surface will grow gradually less and less as the vessel rises.

hen the vessel is at rest, the entire surfaces of all of the fins will be submerged, but as the speed increases the tips of the fins will gradually show above the surface of the water and less and less of the fin surface will be submerged as the speed increases.

Iclaim:-

i. In a vessel, a series of fins having their inner ends directly connected to the vessel 2 a vessel, suppo fins in. the form of long, thin," narrow bla es, disposed obliqnely transversely of the vessel, the innermost ends of the fins being connected to the vessel and their outermost ends being extended beyond the gnnwale, each fin being disposed at an angle in the direction of its the forward being in a plane above the after 3. In a vessel, 3. series of fins connected directly to the keeland extending outward beyond the gnnwale, said fins being disposed obliquely to the horizontal,'both beam wise and fore and aft of the vessel. i

4. A'vessel supporting fins in the form of long thin narrow blades having their inner ends conneeted to the vessel extending out beyond the gnnwale on each side transversely and with their surfaces oblique to'the horizon both in a fore and aft direction, and transversely.

5. In a vessel, the combination of one or more series of long narrow fins having their zon both in their length and in their breadth,

and oblique struts 1) connecting their ends rigidly with the vessel above the water line. 7. The combination of'a vessel, :1 series of transverse long narrow fins or aquaplanes, projecting beyond the gunwale and a series of oblique struts projecting outward from the side of the vessel above the center line, and innecteli to the outer ends, of the said fins, whereby these side plates act somewhat as an outrigger in steadying the Vessels.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WM. P. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

CHARLES LESLIE, WM. Gr. TRAVIS. 

